


The Mystery of Mission City University

by silentwhisper002



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: AU!Sofia, Also kind of based off the Riddler U episode of Harley Quinn, College AU, F/F, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kind of based off Pokemon Jeff, Mac and Murdoc are actually best friends, Mac has a Twin Sister, Mac is an anti-social bean, Mac/Cage for like 2 minutes, MacRiley all the way bois, Matty and Russ are Professors, Matty and Russ are the Nerdy Professors, Matty is the Badass Professor who helps catch the bad guy, Murdoc is an angsty Art kid, Mystery, Now I’m Just Rambling, Oh look more nonexistent ships for me to captain, Okay now I'll stop for real this time, Phoenix Squad as College Students, Riley and Bozer are the dynamic duo, Riley is literally me: The Angsty-and-slightly-Punk-Rock Gay Best Friend, Sam and Desi become a thing, Samantha is everyone's bi icon, Sofia MacGyver, Thornton is still a psycho, okay I’ll stop, simulations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25563841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentwhisper002/pseuds/silentwhisper002
Summary: Angus MacGyver is starting his first semester at Mission City University in Los Angeles with his twin sister, Sofia. He goes in expecting to learn for four years, get his degree, and maybe make some friends along the way. Little does he know what MCU has in store for him. When students start disappearing all over campus, Mac and his friends make it their mission to find out why, and who could possibly be behind it all?(Sort of based off the Riddle University episode of Harley Quinn)And yes, it features an AU version of the badass sister from Hell Sibling we all love (because we need that good Sofia content)ALSO POSTED ON WATTPAD UNDER THE SAME USER: SILENTWHISPER002
Relationships: Angus MacGyver & Murdoc (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton & Desiree "Desi" Nguyen, Riley Davis & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Samantha Cage/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Samantha Cage/Desiree "Desi" Nguyen, Wilt Bozer & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Wilt Bozer & Riley Davis (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

Angus stared straight ahead at the road before him, his hands impatiently tapping at the steering wheel as his uncle’s old pick up truck came to a jolting halt at a red light. 

To say he was nervous was an understatement. Mac was more than nervous. He was tense, disquieted, distressed, trepidatious. He was some type of an anxious mess, that there wasn't even a _name_ for it yet. 

Why, you may ask?

He'd tell you why. 

Today was move-in day. The day he was to make a new start at Mission City University where he knew absolutely no one, save for his twin sister, Sofia, who was seated on the passenger's side beside him.

Sofia had her head set against the window, long blond hair falling down over her shoulder. Her bright blue eyes, only a shade lighter than his own, were trained on the chipped paint of the car next to them.

Angus caught her attention when his nervous hand-tapping turned a bit more abusive towards the steering wheel.

She lifted herself from the window, turning in his direction and rolling her eyes at his heavy tension.

"Dude calm down. It's just college." She scolded. 

"Easy for you to say." He replied. 

Which was true. It _was_ easy for Sofia to say.  
  
Unlike him, she was the more outgoing of the two siblings.

Sofia had always been well liked in high school. She was by no means popular, but she had a decent amount of friends and did well in all her classes. She had a great sense of humor and a certain charm about her that just caused people to gravitate in her direction.

She was what he called an, "everybody's friend". 

Angus on the other hand, was the complete opposite.

He was nerdy, awkward, and quiet.

He'd sometimes hung out with Sofia and her crew, who he was pretty sure just tolerated him, but other than that he hadn't really made any friends in high school. He mainly kept to himself, staying busy with homework and side experiments that normally ended with something exploding.

He hoped that perhaps college would offer him a chance to maybe make some friends with similar interests, but his lack of social skills was starting to convince him otherwise.

He assumed that this was the underlying factor causing his anxiety to skyrocket. 

It wasn't the workload, no, he _liked_ work (just another reason he was made fun of in high school), it was the fear that nobody would like him. He knew he could always count on Sofia, but he also didn't want to be known as the clingy, anti-social brother. He had to make his own friends through independent social interaction, and that terrified him.

"Two days ago you could hardly wait to leave." Sofia argued, "I don't understand what's got you so in a twist?"

Angus sighed, stepping on the gas as the light finally turned green.

"I'm nervous I won't make any friends." He admitted, hoping his sister wouldn't laugh at him.

She didn't. That was another thing everybody loved about Sofia, she never judged anyone.

"Angus, it's not that hard to walk up to someone and say, "Hello, I'm Angus".

"With a name like Angus, it is." He countered.

Sofia snorted, her hand flying to her mouth to cover her laughter. 

" 'S not funny." He muttered.

"Sorry, sorry." His sister quieted herself, "It's just, you're actually a pretty cool person, and if you put yourself out there a little bit more, it'll be easier for others to see that."

He nodded, knowing that there was truth to her words. "I just, I always sound so stupid. I can barely say hello to someone without making a fool of myself."

"Well, think of it this way," Sofia offered, "new start, new you."

"I suppose."

"Listen, Angus, if you're really that terrified of talking to people, I'll help you. We'll go find some people to hang out with together."

Angus shook his head. "No, no. That's okay. I don't want to invade your space. It's not really, "cool" to be seen hanging out with your brother all the time."

"What are you talking about?" she sounded a bit disbelieved, "Unlike most siblings, I actually _enjoy_ spending time with you."

"Okay," he finally gave in, "if you're sure."

He flipped his turn signal, swallowing the lump in his throat as he turned into the parking lot.

Sofia gave him a bright smile. "Positive."

They fell back into a comfortable silence. Maybe Sofia was right? Perhaps this year wouldn't be so bad after all?

He just really hoped he wasn't jinxing himself.

Pulling into a vacant spot, he choked back a sigh.

_Well, here goes nothing._


	2. Chapter 2

_201_

_201_

_201_

Angus counted the doors as he hunted the hallway for his room.

He curled into himself slightly as he passed a few other guys, who looked like they were probably on the football team, laughing loudly amongst each other. He pressed himself against the wall to allow them through, but ended up dropping his backpack instead.

Upon hearing the loud _THUD_ of his textbooks, one of the guys stopped, turning back around. His friends halted beside him, giving each other quizzical looks.

"Here, let me help you with that." He said, his words round against a thick Texas drawl. He reached down, grabbing the bag with a swift motion. "Which room are you in?"

Angus stumbled a bit on his response, not expecting this type of reaction from what he considered to be, the stereotypical jock.

"Um, 201." He managed to get out.

"Hey, that's my room from last year! I'll walk you there."

Angus offered a shy smile. "Thanks."

The boy's bright blue eyes glittered with friendliness. "No problem, man!"

He moved his attention back to his friends, telling them to go on without him, that he'd catch up later.

"Come on, follow me!" He slung Angus' backpack over his shoulder, motioning for the younger boy to follow him down the hall.

"I'm Jack, by the way, Jack Dalton." The jock introduced himself.

Remembering Sofia's words from earlier, Angus drew in a deep breath. "Hello, I'm Angus. Angus MacGyver."

"Nice to meet ya, Angus!" Jack flashed him a winning smile. "I suppose you're a first year?"

Angus nodded, "Yep, and I'm guessing you're not?"

Jack shook his head, "Nope. Second year Criminal Justice Major."

"Ah." Angus pointed to himself, "Chemistry and Physics. Double Major."

The older boy's eyes widened in astonishment. "Chemistry _and_ Physics?" He let out a whistle of surprise and admiration, " _Damn_. Mad respect, man. I can't understand science for the life of me! All I know is that the powerhouse is the mitochondria of the cell."

Angus snickered at the boy's mix up, but didn't have the heart to correct him.

"Here we are!" Jack stopped outside an old, peeling, wooden door. "Room 201."

Angus fumbled with his key, while Jack placed his backpack on the ground.

"Anyway, I gotta go. Practice starts soon. See ya later, Mac!"

Bidding Angus farewell, Jack raced down the hallway, most likely to catch up with his friends from before.

Taking another breath, he slid the key into the lock, and twisted the handle, praying that his roommate wouldn't be there so he couldhave a few moments alone to unwind.

His efforts went unnoticed.

Pushing open the door, he was met with two people sitting on the opposite side of the room, controllers in hand and a box of pizza between them. They seemed to be yelling at something on a TV screen. The walls behind them were covered with posters from different films, which Angus figured had been put up before his arrival.

One was a dark-skinned boy, dressed in a pinstriped shirt, whom he assumed was his roommate, and the other was a girl with tanned skin and dyed hair. She had a leather jacket tied around the waist of her t-shirt that read, _"I'll stop wearing black when they invent a darker color."_

Angus closed the door loudly behind him, making his presence known.

Their heads turned at the noise, and his roommate quickly pressed pause, setting his controller down and jumping to his feet.

"Hey! You must be the roommate!" He greeted."The name's Bozer, this here is Riley." He gestured to the girl with the mass of red-violet hair.

Riley gave him a short wave from her spot on the floor.

"Hi." He returned. "I'm...." He trailed off, thinking back to Sofia's pep talk in the car.

_Think of it this way, new start, new you._

Then, his brain immediately switched over to Jack's parting words

_See ya later, Mac!_

"I'm, Mac."

He was surprised at how sure of himself he sounded at the name, making a mental note to start referring to himself as, _Mac,_ more often rather than his fiend of a given name.

"It's great to finally meet you!" Bozer exclaimed, going in for a hug. 

Mac stiffened for a moment at the contact. He wasn't used to such forwardness. 

Riley laughed at his obvious display of discomfort. "Don't mind him. He's a bit of a touchy-feely guy."

Mac relaxed a bit after Bozer's presence left him. The dark-skinned boy returned to the floor beside Riley and held up a controller. 

"So, Mac," Mac smiled at the usage of his newly acclaimed title. "You play?"

Mac shrugged. "I guess it depends on what you're playing?"

"Well, currently," Riley cut in, "I'm kicking Bozer's ass at Luigi's Haunted Mansion."

"As if." Bozer retorted. 

Mac peered around his head to see that Riley was, in fact, correct. Bozer was losing horribly in some multiplayer feature.

"I've never played before." Mac admitted, sitting down beside Bozer, and pulling his knees to his chest.

"You can take my spot." Riley offered, handing him the controller and standing up. "Then maybe Boz will have a real chance at reclaiming his dignity. I have to go anyway, I promised Jill I'd help her move in."

Her phone chimed as if on cue. Holding it up, she smiled in farewell. "That'll be the roommate. Welp, thanks for having me over. It was nice meeting you, Mac."

"Yeah," he nodded in response as she exited the room, shutting the door behind her, "you too."

When the third party disappeared into the hall, Mac pointed to the door. "Is she your girlfriend or something?"

Bozer almost dropped the remnants of the pizza box he'd been picking up off the tile, spluttering at the question. "What? No! No, no. She's just a friend I made at band camp. Marching band has had us here for the past week. She's a Computer Science Major, plays the flute. A total technological genius too. She came over, offering to help me set up a program on my computer for one of my classes. I guess we got a bit carried away." He finished shoving the greasy box in the recycling, and turned off the TV.

"Film Major right?" Mac inquired. He thought he remembered seeing it on his housing form when room assignments first came through.

"Yep! Minoring in Creative Writing and Art."

"Nice, my sister's an Art Major, so you'll probably see her around."

"Older?"

"Twin, actually." He replied.

Bozer nodded. "Cool, cool. That's always fun. And you're the science guy right?"

Mac chuckled at the question. "Yeah, that's me. Chemistry and Physics."

"Well, my only request is that you at least try to refrain from blowing up the dorms." Bozer gave him a pointed glare that Mac could easily tell was all in good fun.

"No promises." He replied.

The two boys stared at each other for a moment, before wide grins broke out across both of their faces, and the room erupted into a chorus of laughter. 

"You know what, Mac?" Bozer managed to get his diaphragm under control first, "I think I'm really going to like you."


	3. Chapter 3

It didn't take the roommates too long to finish unpacking everything and set up their living space. 

Mac found it amusing how different the sides of their room were. While Bozer's side was covered in black bed sheets and movie posters, Mac barely had anything, save for a few photos of him and Sofia, as well as his cat, Belle.

It was about 4:30pm, and the boys were lounging on their beds playing 20 questions with each other. Mac had recently learned that he and Bozer had gone to the same high school—though their paths never crossed—he wanted to be a director, played alto sax, had a dog named Kona, and he could cook just about anything under the sun.

"Man, I'm kind of pissed I didn't know you in high school." Bozer was saying, "We definitely would have been friends. Then I wouldn't have come here a total stranger."

"You met Riley." Mac pointed out.

Bozer shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I did. But it was kinda weird the first day, you know? Though speaking of Riley," he looked down when his phone screen lit up, and sat up typing out a reply, "she just asked if we want to go to dinner with her and her roommate, Jill."

"When?"

"Like, right now. The dining hall gets packed around five, so we always go early."

"Sure," Mac agreed, "Why not. Can I invite my sister?"

Bozer waved him an "okay" symbol with his hands, "Yeah, go ahead. The more the merrier, right?"

Pulling out his own cellular speaking device, he lazily scrolled through his contacts until he found her name.

**_Me - 4:34pm_ **

_Hey, you want to go to dinner with me and some friends?_

He grinned at the almost instantaneous reply. 

  
**_Sofia - 4:34pm_ **

_You have friends?_

_**Me - 4:35pm** _

_And this is why you're a menace._

_**Sofia - 4:36pm** _

_Sorry, sorry, I'm just playing. Is it cool if **I** bring a friend?_

He chuckled softly to himself. Of course she'd already started making friends. But then again, surprisingly, he had too.

**_Me - 4:37pm_ **

_Always the social butterfly. Go right ahead._

_**Sofia - 4:37pm** _

_Thx. Are we meeting now?_

_**Me - 4:38pm**   
_

_Yep.  
_

_**Sofia - 4:38pm** _

_Alright, see you there._

Mac switched off his phone, and looked up to face Bozer again. "She said she'll meet us there."

Bozer stood from his bed, grabbing his lanyard, Mac doing the same.

"Lucky for us," His roommate was telling him, "We're not too far away. Riley said she'll meet us right outside the main entrance."

They swung open the door and walked down the hall, falling into some light conversation about different video games they both liked.

Well, okay, it was mainly Bozer doing the talking, and Mac more so listening, but he appreciated that Bozer was willing to carry a conversation while Mac did his best to pay attention and learn something new.

His roommate's rant about some new fortnight feature came to an end when they spotted Riley, leaning against the brick wall of the dining hall, an unfamiliar figure beside her.

This, he assumed, must be Riley's roommate, Jill.

If he stood correct, Jill seemed to be the complete opposite of Riley's punk-rock style and sarcastic (from what Bozer had told him) personality.

She stood about the same height as Riley with pretty caramel-blonde hair that fell in ringlets to her shoulders, halting at the shoulders of her bright blue shirt, dotted with a white floral pattern. Black rimmed glasses framed her brown eyes, and she wore faded blue jeans tucked neatly into black-and-white checkered converse.

She smiled widely, and waved in a very gesticulate manner. Riley on the other hand simply shifted the weight of the bag on her shoulder and gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Hey!" Jill cheered. She ran a few steps to meet them in greeting, Riley behind her, hands shoved deep into the pockets of her ripped black jeans.

"You guys must be Mac and Bozer!" She guessed, pointing between he two, and surprisingly getting their identities right when they met in the middle, "I'm Jill!"

Mac smiled, hanging back a bit. "That's us."

Sensing that Mac was a bit shy, she refrained from giving him a hug like she'd done with Bozer, and extended a hand instead.

Grateful, he took it. "I'm Mac, great to meet you."

"So are we all here?" Riley asked, finally catching up.

Mac glanced down at his phone, "Uh, we're just waiting on my sister. I invited her."

"Cool!" Wow. This Jill kid was really friendly. He could already tell that she and Sofia would get on well.

Speak of the devil, he caught sight of his sister's mass of blonde hair amongst the bustle of students.

Trailing behind her, was a guy who couldn't have been much older than them with raven hair and pale skin. He was buried in a black coat, curled around himself, pressing a notebook of sorts against his chest. His raw umber eyes darted around his surroundings as he followed after Sofia, flinching away from the passing students.

"Hey!" His sister yelled, "Angus!"

Mac inwardly cringed at the sound of his first name, fighting off a glare as Riley snorted behind him.

"Hey Sof." He greeted her, lowering his voice as he explained his new name, "I'm, uh, I'm called, Mac, now."

Her eyes widened, but she seemed to accept it. "Oh, alright. Cool! Already making changes, I see." She punched him in the shoulder. "Good for you!"

"So, you must be the sister." Bozer cut in. "Art Major, right?"

"Yep!" She took a few steps to the right, revealing the guy behind her who'd fallen silent. "And this anti-social being is Dennis, another Art person. I found him on the way to my dorm."

"Murdoc." Dennis corrected. "No one should ever be fucking named Dennis."

Mac chuckled lightly, liking this kid already.

"I feel you." He offered, "No one should be named Angus either. It's a seventh degree offense."

Murdoc cracked a smile at that. Seemingly feeling a bit more comfortable, he dropped his notebook to his side, revealing a faded Led Zeppelin shirt.

Yep. Mac and Murdoc were definitely going to be friends. They could be antisocial together.

"Well," Riley started, "if that's all of us, then I suggest we go in before that place turns into a madhouse."

Murmuring in collective agreement, the group made their way inside the dining hall, searching for a place to sit.

It seemed impossible, until Mac spotted a familiar face waving him over.

It was Jack. He had a baseball cap over his cropped brown hair, and another unfamiliar girl beside him, bent over a textbook. She had dark hair, almost black that hung down to her shoulders and a slightly tanned complexion. She looked up as they approached, her dark gaze passing over the group, eyeing them wearily.

"Hey, Mac! Looking for somewhere to sit?" Jack asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah, actually." Mac confirmed. "Mind if we join you?"

"Not at all!" The older boy replied, at the same time his friend answered, "Yes."

Jack nudged her in the side, "Oh, come on Desi. Be nice."

"Desi" rolled her eyes, "Fine."

"We can go somewhere else." Jill offered, probably not wanting to make Jack's friend uncomfortable.

Jack waved her off, "No, no. It's fine. Desiree here is just being an ornery fuck."

Desi slammed the side of her textbook into Jack's arm, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Shit! Des, what the hell? That hurt!"

"That's for calling me ornery."

"Only because you _are_." He argued.

Riley however, shrugged. "I like her. Ornery fucks all the way"

Desi's head snapped up from the book, and she looked Riley over.

Glancing back at Jack, she gestured to the dark haired freshman. "Alright, they can stay."

Mac silently thanked Riley for her sarcasm, grateful that they didn't have to search for another place to sit, because just as Bozer had said, the place was filling up fast.

"Come on," Bozer motioned for everyone to follow him, "This way to Chow Town."

"But stay away from the rice!" Desi yelled after them.

Sofia raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Jack laughed along with his friend, shaking his head. "Trust me. You don't want to know."


	4. Chapter 4

Once food had been collected—and rice avoided—the motley crew settled around their table, all remaining quiet for a moment, despite their earlier friendly introductions, until Jack managed to break the ice.

"So, y'all freshmen?"

The first-years nodded.

"What are you studying? Besides you Mac, since you already told me."

Both Sofia and Murdoc replied "Art." At the same time while Riley and Jill revealed they were working on their Computer Science degrees. Bozer sheepishly raised his hand. "I'm the odd man out. Film kid."

Jack nodded, "That's pretty cool. The arts don't get enough credit, you know?"

Bozer nodded, excited that he'd found someone else who appreciated the arts like he did.

Pretty soon, Jack, Bozer, and Sofia got lost in some sort of discussion of creativity while Riley and Jill conversed with each other about Riley's latest Wikipedia hacking adventures. Desi ignored everyone for the most part, burying herself back in her textbook, and only speaking when spoken to.

That left Mac and Murdoc awkwardly staring at each other.

"So," Mac started, desperate to break the tension, "Art? What prompted that?"

Murdoc shrugged, twirling a pencil in his hand. " 'M not sure. I've always liked doing art, but I didn't really think about it as a career choice until senior year of high school, when it came time to actually get my shit together. My dad got on my case about how I needed to "get a good degree so I won't continue to be the family disappointment"." He leaned back in his chair, throwing a nonchalant glance in Mac's direction. "If I'm being completely honest, I really picked it to piss off my dad."

Mac snorted at that part.

"But I think I may actually want to pursue graphic design. Or maybe illustration. Design band posters and shit." Murdoc finished. "What about you? Sofia says you're some kind of Bill Nye prodigy?"

Mac shrugged, "I like science and technology. I like taking things apart and learning how they work, then rebuilding them again. I think I may want to work in a lab of sorts. Somewhere where social interaction is limited."

Murdoc laughed, gulping down a sip of his water. He raised his glass when he came back up for air. "Amen to that!"

"Amen to what?" Jack was eyeing him quizzically.

Sofia rolled her eyes, "Probably to being anti-social nut-cases."

"Hey," Murdoc defended himself, "If I recall, _you_ were the one who asked to be _my_ friend first. I'm just humoring you."

Murdoc's face looked entirely serious, but the glint in his eye told Mac that it was simply the sarcasm talking.

Sofia grabbed her crumpled up napkin and threw it at him.

It was a pitiful attempt, and she failed horribly, causing the table to break out into rounds of laughter. Even the corners of Desi's mouth twitched up into a grin.

The rest of dinner carried on in the same fashion. Mac and Murdoc mainly talked to each other, but still interacted with the others, Desi spat random insults at Jack, and the whole group fell into a comfortable friendship.

By the time they actually left the dining hall, it was nearing 7.

Bozer stretched his arms, throwing one around Mac's shoulders, and the other around Riley's.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm up for a round of Mario Party."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "Am I invited?"

"Only if you bring the Redbull."

Mac laughed at the thought of Bozer on Redbull. He'd only just grown accustomed to the boy's normal energy level; he could only imagine what it'd look like while hyped up on caffeine.

"Hey, ya know what? Why don't you guys come to our apartment?" Jack gestured between himself and Desi.

"We've got a lot more space than those cramped up dorms."

The group murmured amongst themselves for a moment, before Riley made the executive decision for them.

"I'm down." Though her gaze was strangely trained on Desi, who hadn't looked up from her textbook for the past ten minutes.

How she hasn't tripped and fallen yet was beyond him.

"I'll come." Bozer seconded. "Mac?"

Mac glanced at Murdoc, who shrugged.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

Jack clapped him on the back. "Great! See you in ten?"

"Wait!" Jill yelled, "Where do you live?"

"Green Apartment complex on campus." Desi replied, her attention still not shifting.

"Right. See you then! Come on, Mac!" Bozer cheered, practically sprinting for the dorm.

"Okay, okay!" He laughed, struggling to keep up.

He could hear Riley and Jill keeping pace behind them, assuming Sofia and Murdoc had gone the other direction, back to their own housing.

Closing his eyes, he put on another burst of speed, and allowed a wide grin to spread across his face.

He was really starting to like college.


	5. Chapter 5

It wasn’t hard to find Green Apartment Complex, appropriately named for its ugly green color, Jack had joked.

It turned out that only Riley, Bozer, and Mac had decided to pull through and come back, Riley keeping true to her word, and hauling in a half pack of Redbull.

Jack met them at the front of the building, leading them up a flight of stairs. He paused outside a door with the rusting number 23 just barely hanging on the hallway side.

Twisting the key in the handle, he unlocked it, pushing open the blockade, and motioned for them to enter.

“Welcome to Casa de Dalton.”

“Excuse me,” a familiar voice snorted from inside, “but we live here too?”

Desi was seated on an old faux velvet couch that was practically tearing at the seams, with the prettiest specimen Mac had ever laid eyes on, seated across from her.

No, no. _Pretty_ wasn’t the correct word.

She was alluring, winsome, prepossessing.

Mac tried to wrack his brain for more big words, but alas, his mind worked in numbers rather than creative phrases. That was more Sofia’s category.

Perched on the cushion across from Desi, was another girl, who he assumed was Jack and Desi’s year, with feathery platinum blonde hair and pearl-pale skin. Her sharp blue eyes darted back and forth over the pages of a book.

“Right, right.” Jack was rolling his eyes in reply. “How could I forget?”

Then his eyes landed in the blonde, and he motioned in her direction. “Oh, wow, where are my manners? This here is Sam. She’s our other roommate.

Sam closed the book she was reading, revealing the cover to be some sort of lecture on mental health.

“Hi.” Sam spoke with a smooth Australian accent, causing Mac to wonder if she was an exchange student.

“Sorry for being so quiet when you came in, I was just helping Des with the last of her summer homework.”

“I don’t understand why the Sociology department requires us to take psychology classes.” Desi grumbled.

“Oh come on Des, it’s just a Gen-Ed. Psych 101 isn’t _that_ bad. Besides, Psychology and Sociology are similar enough that it makes sense.” Sam chuckled.

Desi rolled her eyes. “You’re just biased because Psych’s your major.”

“Riiiiight.” Jack waved off their argument, gesturing to the loft. “Anyway, we’re going to play videogames.”

Desi slammed her own book shut. “You know what? Fuck this. I’m coming with.”

Sam raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. “It’s your funeral.”

The shorter girl flipped Sam the finger and trailed up after Jack.

Mac’s gaze lingered on the Aussie a bit longer before he finally begrudgingly pulled it away, following his friends.

————

They ended up having a heated Mario Kart Battle, Desi surprising everyone by greatly surpassing all of them.

“Oh come _on_!” Jack yelled, after his roommate beat him out for a third time in a row.

“Haha, Loser.” Riley cackled.

Mac sat against the edge of Jack’s bed, his knees pulled up to his chest. Since Mario Kart was a four player game and there were five of them, he and Bozer had been switching off.

“Hey Jack,” He asked.

“Yeah?” The sophomore asked, not bothering to glance up from where he was desperately trying to redeem himself.

“Uh, is it okay if I grab some water?” Riley, Bozer, and Desi had finished the Redbull long ago, and Mac was getting pretty thirsty.

“Yeah sure, bro. There should be bottles of water in the kitchen. Just ask Sam, she’ll show you where.”

“Thanks.” He stood from the floor, carefully stepping around his friends, not wanting to critically injure anyone.

Mac ambled down the stairs, his heart rate picking up a bit at the thought of speaking to the pretty blond again.

He easily found his way to the kitchen where Sam was leaning against the counter, her book still in one hand, a mug of sweet smelling tea in the other.

She glanced up when she saw him. “Hello. Mac, right?”

He nodded, unsure of what to say.

“Can I help you with something?” Her intent blue gaze was now entirely trained on him.

“Um, I’m...water.”

Sam’s gaze furrowed in confusion, and Mac mentally slapped himself.

“Well that sounded incredibly stupid.” He apologized. Mac shook his head to clear his thoughts. “What I meant to say was,” He began again with a nervous chuckle. “yes, I’m Mac, and I was just looking for some water.”

“Oh.” Sam’s face softened in understanding. “Sure. Top shelf of the refrigerator. I’ll grab it for you.”

Marking her spot, she placed her drink down on the counter beside the book and crossed the room to the cold-box, retrieving a bottle of water.

She tossed it to him. “Here.”

He thankfully caught it, successfully refraining from making a fool of himself for the second time tonight.

“Thanks.”

“Sure. Do me a favor and yell at Jack and Desi not to stay up too late when you get back up there. They both have sports practice in the morning.”

Mac nodded, taking a sip of his water. “Do you play any sports?” He asked, trying to create casual conversation.

Sam nodded, returning to her spot at the counter ledge.

“Yep. I’m on the equestrian team. You?”

Mac shook his head. “No. I’m more interested in the physics of the sport rather than the actual act of playing. But horses, that’s cool. My aunt has a few. We go trail riding every summer.”

Sam shrugged, “Its fun. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid, and it's a way to get scholarships.”

Mac nodded again. “I bet you’re great at it.”

Sam smiled, “I try. Anyway, I won’t keep you. I’ll let you get back to your friends.”

“Right. Thanks again for the water.”

“Sure.” She offered before turning back to her book.

Mac slowly backed away, feeling rather giddy and proud of himself.

Why?

Because he, _Angus MacGyver_ , the most _awkward_ human in all of history, just held a conversation with a _girl_.

Yep. College is great.


	6. Chapter 6

Uh, uh. 

Nope 

Scratch that.

College was not great. 

College fucking _sucked_ , Mac decided as he dragged himself out of bed, careful not to rouse Bozer who had been smart enough not to register for any 8ams. 

He managed to wake himself up and get ready in under an hour and decided that since he was up, he should probably go for breakfast. 

Grabbing his backpack and lanyard, Mac quietly slipped out of his room, starting down the hall. 

The cool morning air hit his face when he stepped outside at about 7:00, slowly trudging to the dining hall. 

Campus was rather quiet this early in the morning, and Mac found himself relaxing a bit as his feet trod over the still-dew-ridden grass. 

Upon entrance to the building that had been bustling with life these past few days, he discovered that the place was almost dead now. 

Only a few students were scattered amongst the blue plastic tables. 

Scanning the area, Mac caught sight of a familiar mop of dark magenta hair, bent slightly over a laptop, a plate of half-eaten toast resting beside it.

Mac quietly approached Riley, careful not to interrupt whatever she was doing, and set his bag down on a vacant chair. 

Riley glanced up at the slight disturbance in silence. “Oh, hey Mac.” 

“Hey, is this seat taken?”

She shook her head, “Nope. All yours.”

“Thanks.” 

Riley shrugged, bringing her attention back to her laptop, and Mac running to get breakfast, returning a few moments later with a plate of bacon and toast. 

“8ams?” Riley asked when he sat back down. Her computer was now closed, and she was leaning back in her chair, revealing another sarcastic shirt that read,  _ “Allow me to explain why I’m right.” _

He nodded, giggling at the phrase, Riley raising an eyebrow.

“What’s so funny? You actually enjoy waking up at the ass-crack of dawn or something?”   


“No, no.” He replied, “I was laughing at your shirt. It’s funny. Very fitting.”

She glanced down and then smiled back up at him. “Heh, yeah, thanks.”

“So what’s got you up so early.” Mac inquired. 

“Same as you, 8ams. Intro to Communications. What about yours?”

“Calculus 1.”

Mac and Riley engaged in a conversation over the things they  _ weren’t _ looking forward to this morning, before it finally came time to go their separate ways.

“So, I’ll see you for lunch?” Riley called after him. 

“Uh, sure, if I’m not in class!”

He gave his friend a final wave, picking his way through the now thickening crowd of students, and back out into the courtyard. 

The L. A. Phoenix Center for Sciences wasn’t too far of a walk, though Mac definitely wasn’t looking forward to climbing up three flights of stairs.

\-------

The room was fairly empty, only a few students having the same idea as him to arrive a good ten minutes early. 

Not wanting to have to interact with people, Mac found an empty space in the back of the lecture hall, away from the commotion.

He started pulling out his textbook when he heard the chair beside him being pulled out. 

_ Great, now I have to interact with- _

His thoughts cut off when he saw who had taken the empty spot. It was Murdoc.

“Oh, hey.” He greeted.

The art major threw a notebook down onto the table in front of him, and lazily fell into the seat. He shrugged off his jacket, revealing yet another washed out band t-shirt. All Time Low this time. 

“Hey.” Murdoc mumbled back, “You don’t mind if I sit here right? I figured we could be antisocial as a collective.”

Mac shrugged, “Sure. Sounds fun.”

Murdoc raised an eyebrow, pointing at him with a pencil. “It’s not supposed to be fun. That’s the point. Fun is for extroverts.”

Mac chuckled, “So you listen to ATL, huh?”   
Murdoc threw his hands in the air, fake exasperation filling his voice. “ _ Dude _ , what part of  _ antisocial _ do you not understand?”

“Sorry, sorry.”

The brunette waved him off, “Whatever, it's good.”

“So are you taking this class as a Gen-Ed?” Mac inquired. Murdoc was an Art Major, so it confused him as to why he’d be taking a calculus class—if not to fill a requirement—rather than something simple like Elementary Statistics or Concepts of Math 101. 

Murdoc nodded, “Yep.”

Mac tilted his head in thought. “But why?”

The artist snorted, “Because, Mac, contrary to popular belief, I’m good at math.”

“Quick, what’s one-forty-four to the power of three?”

“Fuck you, that’s what.”

Mac grinned at his response, relishing in the fact that he’d gotten a rise out of the other boy.

He was about to make another jab at Murdoc, when their professor walked in. 

He was a tall man, with dark, yet slightly graying hair, and a sparse salt and pepper goatee and beard strewn about his face. 

He waltzed up to the black board, scrawling his name out on the smooth surface. Mac noticed Murdoc cringe slightly beside him at the scraping squeal it made when he pressed too hard. 

“Hello.” Their instructor was the owner of a slick english accent, “I’m Professor Taylor, but we’re all friends here and I’m not big on formalities. You’re welcome to call me Professor Taylor if it so suits you, but my first name, Russ, also works just fine. Good?” He clapped his hands together, “Good.”

Russ crossed the room to his desk and picked up a thick stack of paper packets. 

“I figured, since today is the first day of classes, we’d take it easy and just look over the syllabus, maybe get to know each other, because quite frankly, it’s eight in the morning and none of us are in the mood to actually use our brain cells right now.”

Mac stifled his laughter at his professor's demeanor, while Murdoc slid further down in his seat. 

“He lost me at “get to know each other”.” The Art major sighed. 

Jesus. Mac thought he was bad. “You  _ really _ don’t like people.” he commented

Murdoc gave him a sideways glance. “No, so don’t get too attached.”

The two boys quieted themselves when Russ reached their table. 

The professor eyed them suspiciously, probably for being so far removed from the rest of the class, but nonetheless, gave them their syllabi and returned to the front of the class.

Mac opened to the first page, reading along with the professor’s instructions, but caught Murdoc just mindlessly flipping through it, furrowing his brows whenever he stumbled upon an aspect he didn’t like. 

“Any questions?” Russ opened the floor to class discussion after he’d laid down the law of the land.

Much to Mac’s surprise, Murdoc was the first to raise his hand.

“Yes.” Russ acknowledged him.

“Yeah, I have a question.” Murdoc’s tone was borderline sarcastic, “Why the  _ fuck _ is there so much writing in a fucking  _ math _ class?”   


A hush fell over the room, and Mac stared at Murdoc, his mouth open, completely horrified for his new friend.

Russ’s eyes narrowed, zeroing in on Murdoc. “Well, that’s quite an off-putting way to stage a question.” He observed.

Murdoc locked his gaze with Russ, not once faltering under the older man’s hard stare. “With all due respect professor, I’m an artist, and in my department we practice the freedom of expression, therefore, I have Art Major privileges.”

Murdoc was dead. Mac was sure of it. He was so, so,  _ so  _ dead.

“What’s your name, young man?” Russ asked.

“Murdoc.”

For a moment their professor didn’t respond, he simply nodded at the confirmation of Murdoc’s name. 

And then finally, he spoke. “Murdoc, eh?”

Mac held his breath at what was coming next.

“I like you.”

_ Breath released.  _

Even Murdoc looked a bit shocked. Mac was pretty sure that everyone had been expecting some sort of scolding or angry blow up, anything but  _ that _ .

This Russ Taylor was really something else. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it's been a little slow to start, but with an ensemble cast, sometimes you gotta do that so the characters can have their respective set up, ya know? Anyway, plot picks up in the next chapter, I promise :)


	7. Chapter 7

After his first three classes, as well as lunch with his friends, Mac decided it may not be a bad idea to go to the library and get a head start on some studying. He still had a few hours before his last class, and he wanted some time to unwind a bit once the day was fully over.

Riley, Bozer, and Sofia had all opted to come with him, Murdoc needing a break from social interaction, Jill having class, and the sophomores busy with sports practice again.

Mac was still on a bit of a high that he managed to talk to Sam  _ again _ today while they were eating. Jack, Desi, and Sam had stumbled across them in the dining hall, and he’d held a conversation with the pretty blond for a full five minutes. It was  _ great _ .

As of right now, he walked between Sofia and Riley, only half-way listening to their very animated conversation about some band they were both into. 5 seconds of something or another, they were called, he couldn’t quite recall. A few minutes later, Bozer joined in, leaving Mac to wander in his headspace. 

He allowed his mind to clear and just generate random thoughts of what he wanted to do for the rest of the day, how he was going to section off his homework, what he was going to microwave for dinner tonight, you know, normal college kid things.

It wasn’t until his face was inches from the glass, that Mac noticed he’d almost walked straight into the door. 

He could hear Sofia and Riley snickering behind him, while Bozer just put a friendly hand on his roommate’s shoulder, obviously trying to bite back his own laughter. 

“Don’t worry, man.” Bozer reassured him, “It happens to all of us. Doors are the mortal enemy of man.”

“And stairs.” Riley put in, “Don’t forget about stairs.”

“Seriously.” Sofia agreed, “Who the fuck puts a fourth floor on a building with no elevator? What is wrong with these people?”

Mac shook his head, ignoring his friends’ playful jabs, and pulled open the door. 

The campus library was huge, consisting of three different floors, each complete with floor to ceiling bookshelves. 

Sofia, being a total book nerd, sort of stopped short in awe, so Mac had to shove her a bit through the doorway. 

Swatting at his arm, she grinned and walked up ahead, still marveling at the place. 

It was pretty empty for the most part, students sparsely scattered about at the large wooden tables. 

The group selected one near the back, in a more quiet area away from everyone else, pulling out textbooks and pencils, preparing themselves for the vigorous amount of work they were about to dive into. 

Mac was bent over his chemistry worksheet when he remembered he was going to check out a book for physics since he had accidentally gotten the wrong textbook. 

Standing from his seat, he whispered to his friends where he was going, and wandered through the maze of backpacks and paper-strewn surfaces until he reached the front desk. 

The Head Librarian that sat behind it was a shorter woman with long dark hair. She peered up at him from behind a pair of reading glasses with sharp eyes. 

The plaque in her desk read “Matty Weber” which Mac guessed was her name. 

“Um, hello.” He greeted, slightly terrified of her intimidating stare. 

“Can I help you?” She asked, her tone short and brisk. 

“Uh, hi, yes, would you happen to know where I could find the textbook for Physics 420? I seemed to have ordered the wrong one.”

Matty lowered her glasses down the bridge of her nose and peered up at him. 

Mac shifted uncomfortably. Had he said something wrong?

“Physics 420?”

“Uh, yes ma’am.”

“How old are you, kid?”

“Eighteen.” Mac replied, unsure as to why this was important. 

“First year?”

He nodded again. 

Matty leaned forward and lowered her voice. 

“Listen, kid, you’d better be careful.”

“What?”

“Kids like you. They don’t last long here.”

“I’m sorry, but could you please just tell me where to find my book?”

“Second floor, third row. Just, keep an eye out over your shoulder.”

“Riiiight.” Mac nodded, slowly backing away. 

He spun on his heel and walked towards the back staircase as fast as he could, wanting to get away from there. 

What has she been talking about? 

Kids like him didn’t last long? Was she talking about the class? His AP scores had been so high that his advisor said it would be fine for him to take the class. 

Whatever her reason was, it deeply unsettled him. She’d sounded so serious. 

Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he finally located his textbook, dreading the fact that now he had to bring it back down to the same woman. 

Trudging down the stairs, he approached the desk again. 

Mac had originally decided to remain silent, but curiously got the best of him. 

“What did you mean?” He asked as Matty scanned his book, “That kids like me don’t last long here?”

Matty sighed, sliding it across the top of the desk to him. “Look, you seem like a pretty bright guy. Don’t let people take advantage of it. Strange things have been happening here. I’d hate to see you end up in the mess.”

“I’m so confused.”

“You have a nice day now.” Matty continued as though she hadn’t just hit him with some sort of modern riddle. 

“Okay.” 

Grabbing his book, he returned to his table, diving back into his homework, but found himself unable to concentrate. 

He tapped his pencil impatiently against his hand. 

Sofia stirred at the noise, probably sensing his discomfort as well. Their sibling bond was sort of telepathic at this point. 

“Mac? You good?” She asked, looking up from her half finished sketch of a bird. 

“Yeah. Don’t worry, just stressed is all.” He lied. 

Sofia flashed him an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry, I have faith in you. You’re one of the smartest people I know.”

“Thanks.” He replied, though his voice was still on edge. 

What had Matty meant that _strange_ _things_ were happening here? And what would it ever possibly have to do with _him_?

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
